February 4, 2011 - The CCAA Athletes of the Month for January are eight student-athletes competing in CCAA badminton. The CCAA Athlete of the Month program recognizes student-athletes for their outstanding event performance and athletic accomplishments during the month.

ACAA

Justin Barkhouse – Mount Allison University

Barkhouse is the ACAA’s top male player. Now in his third year playing for the Mounties, he has won every match thus far this season. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Canada Games team, and competes in men’s doubles and mixed doubles. The biology student hopes to compete in both events at the 2011 CCAA Badminton Championships.

Heather Murray – Mount Allison University

Murray has been named an Athlete of the Month for the second year in a row. Last year she was also named ACAC Player of the Year and a CCAA All-Canadian. Murray has remained consistent this season, dominating women’s singles and taking first place in mixed doubles. She has been selected to the Nova Scotia Canada Games team and hopes to compete in the mixed doubles event at the 2011 CCAA Badminton Nationals. She’s a third-year psychology student.

ACAC

Ellexis Lathan – Concordia University College of Alberta

Lathan is pushing herself hard this season; not only is she working towards a bachelor of science, she is also hoping to improve her game this season. Her hard work has resulted in big wins in singles and doubles games. Based on the results, Lathan may be among the favourites to qualify for the upcoming national championships.

Keelan Stefanik – Red Deer College

The second-year legal assistant made a triumphant return to the court following knee surgery after the first badminton tournament of the season. Stefanik picked up right where he left off, leading the Red Deer College Kings as their top player in singles, doubles and mixed.

BCCAA

Peter Huang – Capilano University

The month of January saw Huang enter his third BCCAA tournament of the 2010/11 season as defending champion of the men’s singles event. He won all his games at the event, earning points for the Capilano Blues and remaining undefeated in the BCCAA league.  He’s also a talented doubles player, winning a gold medal in men’s doubles at last year’s CCAA Badminton Championship. Huang is in his third-year studying business administration.

RuiLin (Lynn) Huang – Douglas College

RuiLin Huang dominates the BCCAA – she won 35 consecutive matches this season. She took home first place in women’s singles all three BCCAA events, the most recent of which took place in January when she finished the weekend with a perfect 12-0. Another January highlight was a series ranking event in Alberta, where she won women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles. She also coaches several junior Royals, volunteers at the college, and studies business.

OCAA

Tim Chiu – George Brown College

After taking a silver medal in men’s singles at last year’s Badminton Championships, Tim Chiu of the George Brown Huskies may be preparing for another go at the finals. His performance during January’s OCAA Invitational garnered him a first-place finish in men’s singles, on top of the four medals he earned during the fall semester. Chiu is a second-year programming analyst.

Tracy Wong – Humber Hawks

Wong has made a big first impression with the Hawks in her first year of OCAA play – she is undefeated in women’s singles and doubles play.  Not only has she dominated the CCAA league, she is also the defending Junior National Women’s Doubles Champion. When not on the court, she’s a first-year health and fitness promotions student.

Congratulations to all athletes on their accomplishments!